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Monday night’s Bears-49ers game at Candlestick Park brings together two of the NFL’s most storied franchises – one a hallmark of punishing defense, historically, and the other a beacon of offensive sophistication.

At least the Bears remain firmly in character.

Few teams in the league carry Chicago’s rich, rugged defensive tradition. It spans generations, from Dick Butkus slamming running backs to the ground in the 1960s to Mike Singletary’s wild-eyed intensity in the 1980s to Brian Urlacher patrolling the middle of the field since 2000.

And just like in Butkus’ long-ago heyday, these “Monsters of the Midway” could use a little help from their offense.

“When we played, we stopped them on three downs and we could barely get a drink of water before we had to get back on the field,” Butkus, 69, said in a phone interview this week. “It became kind of a running joke: Can’t you let us catch our breath?”

This year’s Bears are staying true to the franchise’s identity, riding their ball-hawking defense to Super Bowl contention. They rank fifth in the league in total defense and No. 28 in total offense. (To magnify the imbalance, quarterback Jay Cutler’s status is uncertain for Monday night’s game because of a concussion.)

This year’s 49ers, of course, barely resemble their artistic predecessors. The team once known for Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing passes to Jerry Rice now leans on its relentless running game and stout defense. San Francisco ranks No. 1 in the NFL in rushing offense, No. 28 in passing and No. 3 in total defense.

Long QB search

The Bears made defense their signature over the years in part because they couldn’t find a quarterback like Montana or Young. Butkus, asked about Chicago’s tendency to excel on only defense, replied, “We had some quarterbacks … in the ’40s.”

Sid Luckman was the man back then, a future Hall of Famer, but the Bears historically struggle at the game’s most important position. Even when they had two of the best running backs in NFL history, Gale Sayers and Walter Payton, the offense usually couldn’t keep pace with the defense.

Consider this: The Bears had only two winning seasons in Butkus’ nine-year career (1965-73), and they didn’t make the playoffs at all during that stretch.

“The Bears were just always defensive-minded,” Butkus said. “It seemed like the defense was what people recognized. For whatever reason, it’s carrying on. …

“It represents the city of Chicago. It’s a tough city – people work hard and give 100 percent effort, and you can correlate that with the way the Bears play defense. I think the fans really appreciate it.”

This dependence on defense fits the Chicago climate, which is not exactly conducive to a high-flying passing game. Former 49ers running back Roger Craig also pointed to the style prevalent in the old NFC Central (now the NFC North).

“That’s the Black-and-Blue Division – you had to have a good defense to win,” Craig said. “I just think it was their attitude, living up to the code of respect and the whole history of Chicago Bears football going back to (longtime head coach) George Halas. It goes really deep in their DNA.”

It goes deep enough to inspire a physical brand of play, in the grand tradition of Butkus. Former 49ers tight end Brent Jones recalled one game in which the Bears took some shots at Young after he scored a touchdown, prompting a brief melee in the end zone.

If the Bears historically feature tough defense, the 49ers typically answer with great offenses and standout quarterbacks. This stretches beyond Montana and Young, back to the days of Frankie Albert, Y.A. Tittle and John Brodie.

Butkus remembered facing Brodie in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Even then, before Bill Walsh brought the West Coast offense to full bloom, the 49ers moved the ball through the air.

“It just seems like certain teams have sort of a trademark,” Butkus said.

Memorable games

Beyond their contrasting pasts, the 49ers and Bears also have a long history of memorable matchups. Sayers scored six touchdowns against the 49ers at muddy Wrigley Field in 1965 – and blew out his knee three years later on a tackle by 49ers cornerback Kermit Alexander.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and the 49ers and Bears often crossed paths in the postseason. They met in the 1984 and ’88 NFC title games and again in the ’94 divisional playoffs. San Francisco prevailed all three times, by a combined score of 95-18, and won the Super Bowl each season.

“I don’t know why, but it felt good to hammer the Bears,” Jones said.

The 49ers and Bears also played on “Monday Night Football” three times in that era. The 49ers won twice and the Bears once, though the most enduring moment might be then-Chicago coach Mike Ditka throwing his gum at a heckling Candlestick Park spectator Dec. 14, 1987.

In the past decade, the series vanished from the spotlight, given the teams’ mostly waning fortunes. Monday night’s game marks the first Bears-49ers game since 2001 in which both teams have winning records.

Now, with a former Chicago quarterback coaching the 49ers – Jim Harbaugh led the Bears in passing for four years (1990-93) – the rivalry begins a new phase. The 49ers sit atop the NFC West at 6-2-1 and the Bears lead the North at 7-2. They very well could meet in the playoffs, again.

Unlike the past, they’re using the same formula in 2012: Stop the other guys.

“The 49ers are playing defense like the Bears,” Butkus said.

Now there’s a compliment.

Alex Smith returns to practice, status for Monday in question. B4

History lesson

If this sounds vaguely familiar – the 49ers and Bears meet in an important Monday night game – there’s good reason. They have played each other three previous times on “Monday Night Football,” and both teams arrived with a winning record all three times. Here’s a quick recap:

Date

Site

Pregame records

Result

Note

Dec. 14, 1987

Candlestick Park

49ers 10-2, Bears 10-2

49ers win 41-0

Bears coach Mike Ditka throws gum at fan at halftime

Oct. 24, 1988

Soldier Field

49ers 5-2, Bears 6-1

Bears win 10-9

Chicago defense holds Joe Montana and Co. to one touchdown and 213 total yards

For more Niners

An expanded version of this story and more photographs of past 49ers games against the Bears are included in the Friday edition of the 49ers Insider digital iPad magazine, which is free for home-delivery subscribers and can be downloaded at bit.ly/Q7x8P8. Also in the Friday edition: a behind-the-scenes look at Veterans Day at Candlestick.